New Romantic band originally form Ulverston. After playing with punk 
acts the Spurts (1978) and the Hormones (1979), Chris ‘Mokka’ Hutchinson (guitars, vocals) and Mike Gaunt (drums) formed Grown up Strange in 1981 with Toby Wren (guitars), and Norman Scott (keyboards).
As to the origin of the band Hutchinson told ‘Blast Off’ Magazine:
‘I started off in a punk band. But that developed into Grown Up Strange. Mike was drumming in it, this was 78/79. Then Mike moved to Manchester, and I was just a bedroom guitarist for a couple of years. I spent a couple of years just growing up, starting to write my own stuff. In this punk band, The Spurts – and then we became The Hormones! – we used to do cover versions of about four Buzzcocks songs, and The Only Ones – and XTC. And then we, as I say, split up and when we came back it was with our own material.” (Blast Off, 1/1986)
In 1982, Wren and Scott were replaced respectively by Steve Wildgoose and Greg Shields. In 1985 the new recruits were substituted by Simon ‘Bendy’ Bennet (bass, former Hoi Polloi, Sonny & a Million) and David Williams (keyboards). Finally, in 1986 Bennet quit to be replaced by Roy Corckill (a.k.a. Roy Corckhill) former Here’s Johnny and Black) (ands the group was joined by Colin Vearncombe, from Black, for live work). This line-up recorded the band’s only single, released in August 1986:
A Wing and a Prayer (1986)
- A Wing and a Prayer
- When You Became That Summer
- Now Winter Lasts Forever
Here’s the band recording info (1987):
‘The seeds of Grown Up Strange were sown in Ulverston in the Lake District. It was there that Christopher Mark (Mokka) Hutchinson and Michael Gaunt decided to form a group together.. They have known each other since schooldays and played in various local punk bands back in 1977. Their partnership was interrupted for a while when Michael went to study in Manchester and then fell off his motor bike and spent nine months on crutches. In 1083 they adopted their current name and started to perform Mokka’s songs.
‘They made occasional forays to play gigs around the North but found it difficult operating from Ulverston, so in 1984 they decided to move. They chose Liverpool, having visited the city regularly to see gigs at Eric’s. They found themselves a manager, Dave G who has been heavily involved in the local music scene for longer than many people can remember (but is still only 28). They also found a new bass player Bendy and keyboard player Dave Williams and started to take the group seriously.
‘After a solid grounding in the clubs and colleges of Merseyside, they toured properly for the first time in the autumn of 1985 as support to the Icicle Works. They went down well to be asked back to some of the same venues in their own right. Colin Vearncombe joined the group for live work to fill out the sound and in return Mokka plays guitars at Black gigs.
‘Grown Up Strange haven’t been as active as they would like to have been in 1986 for several reasons. Firstly Bendy left the band to live in London to be replaced by Roy Corckill who as played in many groups in Liverpool including Here’s Johnny and Black. Secondly, the local club scene for up and coming groups has all but disappeared and finally, hardly anybody outside Liverpool is prepared to book a group without any records out. Consequently their live work in the last year has been restricted to several supports around Liverpool and gigs in their own right in Blackburn, London, Barrow And Manchester. Hopefully the release of their first single ‘A Wing and a Prayer’ on Uglyman Records will enable them to travel more widely as it is live that the group shines.’
grown up strange
acts the Spurts (1978) and the Hormones (1979), Chris ‘Mokka’ Hutchinson (guitars, vocals) and Mike Gaunt (drums) formed Grown up Strange in 1981 with Toby Wren (guitars), and Norman Scott (keyboards).As to the origin of the band Hutchinson told ‘Blast Off’ Magazine:
‘I started off in a punk band. But that developed into Grown Up Strange. Mike was drumming in it, this was 78/79. Then Mike moved to Manchester, and I was just a bedroom guitarist for a couple of years. I spent a couple of years just growing up, starting to write my own stuff. In this punk band, The Spurts – and then we became The Hormones! – we used to do cover versions of about four Buzzcocks songs, and The Only Ones – and XTC. And then we, as I say, split up and when we came back it was with our own material.” (Blast Off, 1/1986)
In 1982, Wren and Scott were replaced respectively by Steve Wildgoose and Greg Shields. In 1985 the new recruits were substituted by Simon ‘Bendy’ Bennet (bass, former Hoi Polloi, Sonny & a Million) and David Williams (keyboards). Finally, in 1986 Bennet quit to be replaced by Roy Corckill (a.k.a. Roy Corckhill) former Here’s Johnny and Black) (ands the group was joined by Colin Vearncombe, from Black, for live work). This line-up recorded the band’s only single, released in August 1986:
A Wing and a Prayer (1986)- A Wing and a Prayer
- When You Became That Summer
- Now Winter Lasts Forever
Here’s the band recording info (1987):
‘The seeds of Grown Up Strange were sown in Ulverston in the Lake District. It was there that Christopher Mark (Mokka) Hutchinson and Michael Gaunt decided to form a group together.. They have known each other since schooldays and played in various local punk bands back in 1977. Their partnership was interrupted for a while when Michael went to study in Manchester and then fell off his motor bike and spent nine months on crutches. In 1083 they adopted their current name and started to perform Mokka’s songs.
‘They made occasional forays to play gigs around the North but found it difficult operating from Ulverston, so in 1984 they decided to move. They chose Liverpool, having visited the city regularly to see gigs at Eric’s. They found themselves a manager, Dave G who has been heavily involved in the local music scene for longer than many people can remember (but is still only 28). They also found a new bass player Bendy and keyboard player Dave Williams and started to take the group seriously.
‘After a solid grounding in the clubs and colleges of Merseyside, they toured properly for the first time in the autumn of 1985 as support to the Icicle Works. They went down well to be asked back to some of the same venues in their own right. Colin Vearncombe joined the group for live work to fill out the sound and in return Mokka plays guitars at Black gigs.
‘Grown Up Strange haven’t been as active as they would like to have been in 1986 for several reasons. Firstly Bendy left the band to live in London to be replaced by Roy Corckill who as played in many groups in Liverpool including Here’s Johnny and Black. Secondly, the local club scene for up and coming groups has all but disappeared and finally, hardly anybody outside Liverpool is prepared to book a group without any records out. Consequently their live work in the last year has been restricted to several supports around Liverpool and gigs in their own right in Blackburn, London, Barrow And Manchester. Hopefully the release of their first single ‘A Wing and a Prayer’ on Uglyman Records will enable them to travel more widely as it is live that the group shines.’
grown up strange
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